Gemmy Holiday 4-foot LightShow RGB Trees

[Guest guest]

I bought the Holiday Lightshow trees a few years ago, got them real cheap and was wondering if there is any hack or modification that can be done to them to make them controllable with an LOR Controller?

I looked around and did a search both on the net and the forums, but couldn't find these particular trees that I have.

They are 4' tall, 2 trees, recommended for covered porch use, RGB LED and have a built in controller to set the LEDs to one of 10 color options manually or let the controller randomly select the color displayed or it can change colors as a selected single song or all selected songs play.

They are linked with a cable that connects the 2 trees and the speaker that plays the music that controls the color of the LED's on the trees as the music plays. These look like miniature artificial Christmas trees, like a fir or spruce.

See attached photo below of what these trees look like (this is only 1 of the 2 trees):







Attached files

[Guest wbottomley]

First, you need to know what type of chip runs them. Next, see if anyone has made a compatible controller to talk their language. Third, that controller will need to be DMX compatible.

[Guest guest]

wbottomley wrote:

First, you need to know what type of chip runs them. Next, see if anyone has made a compatible controller to talk their language. Third, that controller will need to be DMX compatible.

What I was hoping was someone had already hacked this type and knew what controlled them. All I know about them is they work from a wired controller, other than that, I have no idea where to locate or even know what chip controls them.

I just know the one tree has the controller on it, and connects to the second tree with a 3 wire connector, whether or not all 3 connections are actually used, I have no clue and I don't want to cut into them and make them unusable as they still function perfectly with their controller.

So I see hacks for other products, but just not this particular one that I'm looking for, so figured if I asked here, gave a description and photo of what they are maybe someone had a link to a hack to them.

If noone has hacked them yet, I'm just going to leave them alone until they quit working. Otherwise if I killed them my wife would throttle me! She loves them, but I thought if there was a way to make them work with an LOR DC controller, I'd go that route.

Adapter says 24VAC - 30VA, so not sure if they could be converted over to DC operation for an LOR DC board, which is kind of what I was hoping for.

I have no idea on DMX or how that works and am trying to stay away from it. I like to keep things as simple as possible, whenever possible. I know, doesn't sound like it sometimes.:shock:

[Guest guest]

Just for the record, I HAVE been following the RGB threads and reading the DMX threads here.

I just don't feel ready or comfortable with the DMX stuff currently, I don't have any to experiment with and even though I've been reading through it, it sounds so much more complex and complicated than any of the LOR products, right down to the sequencing I find easier to understand than all this DMX and RGB with smart ribbons, dumb ribbons, talk.

Maybe if I ever opt to get some type of DMX device and play with it I may be able to get a better understanding of it, but not having it pysically to see how it works, and what it really is and does, well, hate to say it, but it's got me baffled as to how to even use it or set it up correctly.

Just wanted to set the record straight that I'm not opposed to DMX, I'm just not sure I completely understand how DMX all works. Guess I still have more reading to do, but like some others, I learn things better when I have the item directly in front of me and can play around with it.

So is there any cheap DMX stuff one can purchase just to get a feel for it? (like under $100?)

Or is it going to be like everything else and cost a pretty penny just to get something to start with?

And what is that aproximate cost just to start with to learn the basics of the DMX language, protocols and type of item I'd require to control with it?

I need the poor man's version if there is one.

Mainly because I've already spent my allowable wad of funds for 2012 on a large quanity of New Sealed LED strands for my 2012 display.